Firefighter

by Jennifer Li Shotz

  Matt fought the fear that threatened to overcome him. He focused only on his dog’s shallow breathing and the sound of his own footsteps.

  Every step forward brought him closer to help for Scout.

  Matt barely noticed when his dad stopped moving and, leaning on Curtis, tugged open his pocket and pulled out his phone. Matt and Bridget had often teased their dad for always insisting on a fully waterproof phone case, but for once, Matt wasn’t laughing.

  His dad swiped at his phone screen and waited. “Finally,” he said to himself. “Service.” He dialed quickly.

  As if from a hundred miles away, Matt heard his dad talking to his mom. “Honey, it’s good to hear your voice. Matt’s okay—he’s fine. We’re all okay. Yeah. See you at the bottom. Send an ambulance. Dev and I are going to need medical attention STAT. No, don’t worry. We’re fine.” He shot Matt a sideways look and lowered his voice. “But Scout . . . I don’t know. I really just . . . don’t know.”

  Matt felt the ground even out beneath his feet. The slope flattened as they got closer to the bottom. He picked up his pace, moving faster and faster, until he was practically running down the hill.

  He was the first to set foot in the parking lot, where he and the others were immediately swarmed by EMTs and National Guard troops bearing Mylar blankets and bottles of water. Matt hardly noticed them.

  “Matt!” The sound of his mom’s voice brought him back to the present. The bubble around Matt popped, and suddenly he saw the world in color again, heard the rapid chatter of dozens of rescue workers swarming around, and felt a soft morning breeze on his skin.

  But one single thought blared like a siren in Matt’s brain: Scout needs help.

  “Oh thank God! Matt—” His mom fought tears. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She wrapped Matt in a tight embrace and rested her cheek on Scout’s head. “We’ve been trying to get to you all night, but it was just too dangerous. The conditions kept changing. But I knew if the water helicopters could put out the fire, you guys could get yourselves down safely.” She hugged him even tighter. “I am so incredibly angry at you and so incredibly happy to see you.”

  “Mom—” Matt’s voice cracked with emotion.

  She held him at arm’s length and looked him over from head to toe. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Anywhere?”

  “Mom, please—” Matt took a few quick breaths through his nose and waited until he knew he could speak again. “I’m fine. But—I don’t know if Scout’s okay. He needs help. Mom, please help him . . .”

  It was no use fighting it. Matt let the hot tears spill from his eyes and roll down his cheeks.

  One of the men tried to lift Scout from Matt’s shoulders, but his mom held up her hand. “It’s okay, soldier. I’ve got this.” She pulled Matt over to a gurney.

  Matt’s mom lifted Scout from his shoulders, and together they gently lowered the dog onto the flat surface. Scout barely moved. Matt’s mom took Scout’s head in her hands and pulled open his eyelids, then let them close again. She placed a hand on the inside of his back thigh, feeling his pulse, and counted as she looked at her watch.

  She put a hand on Scout’s heart and left it there. “Matt,” she said, her voice soft. Matt knew from her tone what she wanted to say to him. He bit his lip and looked away. “Matt.” She took her son’s face in her hands and turned his head toward her. “It doesn’t look good, sweetheart. I know how much you’ve just been through, but I want to prepare you for what could happen.”

  There was a hard lump in Matt’s throat, and he felt sad in every inch, every cell of his body. He had never known that being heartbroken meant you felt it from the soles of your feet to the top of your scalp.

  “But if Scout has any chance, then we need to get him to the vet right this second. Are you willing to leave your dad and all your friends here?”

  Matt looked around the parking lot. Dev was rattling by on a stretcher, a plastic mask covering his mouth and nose. Mist rose from holes in the mask, which was connected to a long tube extending from a small machine that lay across his legs. He was inhaling the medicine that would open up his airways instantly. Dev had his head back and his eyes closed, but there was color in his cheeks again. His parents were on one side, and his older sister, Gita, was on the other.

  Amaiya’s parents and Curtis’s mom were there too, holding their kids in fierce embraces, as if they would never let go again.

  Matt’s dad was in the back of an ambulance, with an IV tube dangling above his arm. An EMT examined his ankle. Matt and his dad locked eyes. His dad smiled and mouthed one word at him: Go.

  Thanks, Matt mouthed back. He turned to his mom. “Let’s go.”

  His mom nodded. “Major,” she called out to a man across the lot. He jogged over. “You’re in charge.” The man gave a quick salute and got back to work.

  Matt and his mom wheeled Scout over to her truck and eased him into the back seat. Matt climbed in next to the dog and gently stroked his head. Scout’s eyes were closed, and his nostrils flared slightly with every weak breath. Matt focused on that tiny movement as a sign of hope.

  21

  HIS MOM STEERED THE SPEEDING SUV down the highway, weaving between cars and racing back to town. As they drove, Matt rubbed the soft spot under Scout’s chin and stared out the window as the mountains and rocks flashed by.

  They called ahead, and when his mom screeched into the parking lot of the emergency veterinary hospital, two vet technicians came running through the automatic doors, pushing a stretcher.

  “On three!” one of the techs said. On her count, they slid Scout off the seat and lifted him onto the gurney. Matt jogged after them. The metal cart rattled and clanked as they ran back across the parking lot and burst through the doors. Matt watched, helpless, as the vet ran out from a back room, lifting her stethoscope from her neck and pressing it to Scout’s chest while the techs shouted information at her. They ran as a unit toward an exam room and hurtled through the door, which swallowed them instantly.

  The waiting room was suddenly empty and still. Animal Planet blared from a television mounted high up on a wall.

  Matt stood in the middle of the room, unsure what to do with himself. His mom guided him toward a chair, and suddenly his legs turned to jelly. He collapsed into the seat and bent forward, resting his arms and head on his knees. His mom sat next to him, lightly rubbing his back.

  The TV shouted. Phones rang. Computers dinged and vets whispered behind the receptionist’s desk.

  But Matt didn’t hear any of it. All he heard were the three words that formed a steady drumbeat in his head.

  Will Scout live?

  “Buddy”—Matt’s mom tapped his knee—“I know you’re exhausted, but there’s something I want to tell you.”

  “I know, Mom. I’m in serious trouble. It’s okay. I deserve it.”

  “No, honey, that’s not it.”

  He raised his eyes to meet hers. “What is it, then?”

  She gathered her thoughts for a moment. “Matt, you are so incredibly brave. And I am so proud of you—your dad and I both are.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “But,” she went on, lovingly taking his chin in her hand and turning his head toward hers, “you know you don’t have to run up burning mountains or rescue little kids from floods in order for us to feel that way.”

  Matt couldn’t help but laugh. It did sound kind of crazy when she put it that way, but he’d just been trying to do what he thought was right. “I know that, Mom.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. It’s just that—” She paused and watched cars whiz by outside the window for a moment.

  “It’s just what?” Matt prodded her.

  She let out a long sigh. “It’s just that I don’t want you to feel like you have to be like me and Dad—because of what we do for a living. You don’t have to live up to some ideal of us.”

  Matt turned her words over in his mind. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Your dad and I . .
. we really love what we do.”

  “I know.”

  “And we’re really lucky that we get to help people—it’s a huge honor. I wouldn’t want to do anything else with my life. Except be your mom, of course. But you’re still young, Matt. You’re an amazing person, even if you decide you just want to be . . . you know . . . a regular kid.” She took his hand and threaded her fingers through his. “You don’t have to put yourself at risk to be a good person, is all I’m saying.”

  Matt replayed the events of the past twenty-four hours in his mind. He remembered how he had felt when he heard that his friends might be in danger—and the powerful instinct he had to do something.

  An instinct to help.

  He remembered how he had felt after he commanded Scout to stand down when they were face-to-face with the bear. He thought back to how Scout’s whole body shook when they were trapped by the smoke, and how his dog had calmed down when Matt held him close. And he remembered the unbelievable feeling of laying eyes on his friends in the cave—and knowing they were all safe.

  “But, Mom,” Matt said, “what if I am like you and Dad—and Scout? What if helping people is what I love to do too?”

  “Well,” she said with a sigh, “then you can’t fight who you are. So we’ll just have to show you the ropes. And teach you how to stay out of trouble.”

  She pulled him into a hug, and the arm of the chair dug into his ribs.

  “Sounds good,” Matt said into her shoulder.

  “Now I know how my mother felt,” his mom laughed into his hair.

  They sat like that for a while until the reality of where they were—and why—sank back in. Matt sat up. “Mom?”

  “Yes, honey?”

  “What . . . If . . . What—” His voice quavered. “What if Scout doesn’t make it?”

  She didn’t answer. Instead she took his hand and held it tightly.

  By the time the vet stepped out of the back and walked across the cold tile floor of the waiting room, Matt had accepted that the worst was going to happen.

  His mom stood up, but Matt couldn’t bring himself to get out of his seat. He looked up at the vet’s face, and what he saw there surprised him.

  She was smiling.

  Matt jumped up. “Is he going to make it?”

  “He is,” the vet said. “He is one lucky dog. You got him here just in time.”

  “Thank you,” Matt’s mom said through tears. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. Scout is a real trooper. He fought to survive.” She reached out and put a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “And I have a feeling that’s because he knew there were some pretty important people out here cheering him on.”

  “Can I see him?”

  The vet and Matt’s mom exchanged a glance. His mom nodded.

  “Sure. This way.”

  Matt and his mom followed the vet into a large room divided into smaller areas by curtains. At the back of the room, Scout lay on a bed. Tubes and cords protruded from what seemed like every part of his body. Machines blipped and beeped, and an IV dripped slowly into a clear tube attached to Scout’s leg.

  Matt stood by his head. Scout was under heavy anesthesia and had an oxygen mask over his muzzle. He breathed deeply and slowly.

  Matt reached out a hand but stopped. He looked over at the vet.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “You can pet him. He’ll appreciate it.”

  Matt stroked Scout’s neck and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

  “Hi, Scout,” Matt said softly. “It’s me.”

  At the sound of Matt’s voice, Scout fluttered his eyelids, but he was too groggy to open them all the way.

  “It’s okay—you just rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

  Scout closed his eyes.

  Matt’s mom put a hand on Scout’s belly. “Scout . . .” Her voice welled with emotion and she took a deep breath. “Scout, we’re going to get you home as soon as we can. This family wouldn’t be the same without you, you know.”

  “Thanks for saving us today,” Matt said.

  Scout managed to open his eyes just enough to look up at Matt.

  “Hey, buddy,” Matt said quietly.

  Scout opened his mouth as much as he could inside the mask and let out a hoarse bark.

  Matt and his mom broke out into huge grins, tears spilling from their eyes.

  Matt wrapped his arms around Scout as tightly as he dared and buried his face in his silky fur.

  “It’s okay, Scout,” Matt said. “You’re going to come home.”

  22

  THE WATER RAN BROWN INTO the bathtub drain.

  “Jeez, Scout! How can you still be dirty?” Matt dumped more dog shampoo into his palm and lathered up Scout’s fur. It was his third bath since he’d come home from the vet. Scout sat patiently, a pouf of suds sitting atop his head like a crown.

  Matt’s dad stuck his head in the bathroom door. “It took me about a dozen showers to feel clean.” Leaning on his crutches, he raised the giant cast that ran from his toes to his knee in the air. “And I can’t even scrub all of me yet.” He hobbled into the room and sat down on the edge of the tub.

  Scout wagged his tail in the water, sending a spray of soapy water onto both of them.

  “Scout!” Matt laughed, wiping his face on his sleeve.

  “Good thing you’re still recovering, Scout,” Matt’s dad joked, “or I’d get you for that one.”

  Matt leaned in and pressed his nose to Scout’s wet snout. Scout licked his chin. “Don’t worry, buddy,” Matt said. “Dad’s all talk.”

  “Not true! I’m tough as nails,” Matt’s dad said. “But still not as tough as you, Scout.”

  Even the vet was amazed at how quickly Scout had recovered from smoke inhalation, a near drowning, burned paws, a showdown with a bear, and a dozen other little injuries. But he was one tough dog.

  “Dad, when will you learn that Scout is stronger than all four of us combined?”

  A funny look crossed his dad’s face.

  “What?” Matt asked.

  “Nothing.” His dad sounded a little choked up. “It’s just—well, I’ve actually learned a lot these past few days. About this dog. About my family. About life.”

  “Like what?”

  His dad thought for a moment. “Well,” he began, “actually, there’s one thing I think we both learned in the past few days, Matt. Up on that mountain, in fact.”

  “What’s that?”

  His dad raised an eyebrow. “I learned that it’s hard to be brave enough to do the right thing.”

  Matt looked away from his dad. He ran a wet hand down Scout’s slippery back. Even though everyone was safe—and his dad and Scout were going to make full recoveries—Matt still felt sick to his stomach for dragging them into such a dangerous situation. But he was going to have to learn to live with that feeling—and to use it to motivate himself to do better next time.

  “Yeah,” Matt said after a moment. “You’re right. It really is hard.”

  Matt reached for the spray nozzle and turned on the water, checking the temperature before he rinsed the bubbles off Scout’s fur.

  “Matt-o,” his dad said, “my wings have been clipped for the time being.” His dad gestured at his cast. “But sooner or later I’ll be back on both feet, and I’ll ship out again.”

  “I know, Dad. And I promise not to do anything stupid while you’re gone.”

  “Actually I was thinking just the opposite.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I learned something else on that mountain, pal.”

  “What’s that?”

  Matt tilted his head to the side as he listened.

  “I learned that you have serious guts, Matt-o. I mean, I knew it before, but this time I saw it. You figured out what the right thing was—maybe a little late—but regardless, you figured it out, and you did it.”

  Matt didn’t know what to say. He didn’t feel like he had been the brave one compared to his dad
, and Dev, and Scout, and Amaiya, and Curtis.

  “Now, maybe next time,” his dad went on, “you could work on figuring it out just a tad faster. What do you say?”

  “Sure, Dad.” Matt grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll see what I can do about that.”

  “But in the meantime, I know that while I’m gone, I can rest easy, because you, and this guy”—he leaned over and scratched Scout’s soapy head—“will be here. And together, you’ll keep us all in pretty good hands.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I promise to always look out for our family.”

  “Guys, dinner’s ready!” Bridget called up from the kitchen. Matt’s mom walked by the bathroom door, headed downstairs. She rapped twice on the doorframe as she passed. “Rinse off that filthy dog and come eat,” she said.

  “Yessir,” Matt’s dad said, saluting.

  Matt started to rinse off Scout. The water finally ran clear. He thought about all the soot and dirt that had been lodged deep in Scout’s coat, and where it had come from. He thought about how much danger they had faced up on Mount Kit—and how scared he had been. He thought about how awful he had felt not knowing if his friends—his best friends—were safe, and how incredible it felt to find them. He thought about how grateful he was that his dad had gone on this mission with him in the first place, and that Scout had been there to save his life. He thought about how amazing it had felt to see his mom at the bottom of the mountain.

  “I learned something too,” Matt said.

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  Matt scratched Scout under the chin and turned to look his dad squarely in the eye. “That I’m the luckiest guy on Earth.”

  23

  DEV’S PHONE DINGED IN HIS BACK POCKET. He looked at it and groaned.

  “Your mom again?” Matt asked, snapping his bike lock shut.

  “Yup.” Dev shook his head. “It’s eight in the morning. I left the house less than ten minutes ago.”

  “Aw, she’s just worried about her Devvy,” Matt ribbed him.